Au contraire! As a foreign language and linguistic major, I think this is fascinating stuff! You're never going to get a linguist to admit that the proper and correct term for something doesn't matter.

Its arcane areas of knowledge such as these that make royalty lovers such an interesting bunch.

We sweat the small stuff, like titles and terms and precedence and we sincerely enjoy the debate about it.

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__________________"One thing we can do is make the choice to view the world in a healthy way. We can choose to see the world as safe with only moments of danger rather than seeing the world as dangerous with only moments of safety."

I like that. Thanks. Even though I think, as Shakespere did it's much ado about nothing!

You would Russo. But I agree with you.
Bear, do you remember where you read that about Lenin and Czar? I've always wondered how that happened. That is the first explanation I've heard that makes sense.
Lexi

Au contraire! As a foreign language and linguistic major, I think this is fascinating stuff! You're never going to get a linguist to admit that the proper and correct term for something doesn't matter.

Its arcane areas of knowledge such as these that make royalty lovers such an interesting bunch.

We sweat the small stuff, like titles and terms and precedence and we sincerely enjoy the debate about it.

Well that makes sense. What I was belly aching about was knit-pickery on "It should be said THIS way" No, it should be THAT way. Etc.
But I do like to know where it came from, THAT is interesting!

Greetings, I am Count Andrew Mospak of Mangup. I am by far no expert but I hope I can assist you. There can only be one count and countess of an area at one time UNLESS for say a prince creates a count of say NJ and lets say the pope creates a count of NJ and each orthodox Patriarch or head of monastic cities... so now you would have many as there is no longer a czar to control this. To your point, if she marries the eldest son she is infact countess. All younger sons should be viscounts, barons... You simply cannot and donot have numerous counts in the same line at the same time. Warm regards.

The Lastest News on HIH GD Maria of Russia, photo includes the Russian Ambassador and first Secretary accepting the Order of St Anna 2nd and 3rd class respectively, please note her titles in the documentation and wall remberance stonces if you are in doubt

That is a fair statement. we must also look to the points of knighting as well. I had pointed out the numerous ways that one could find a hand full stating that they are the count of a certain area. So, if you were to look up Holy Roman title you will find viscount. If you look into some Orthodox churches you will see some although few still create let alone knight... Please review viscount and this should give the links to explain in detail. Again, I am far from an expert. In the Russian court the son of a count would be known as say Noble Andrew, son of count... I hope I have helped and please, if any have to add I learn new things every day.

I have tried to find a site that would be fairly easy to follow and show titles as they would appear in Russian. I hope this link works and if it does not, simply type under google search russian noble ranks and whik. should list the article with grid box.Warm regards, A en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_and_noble_ranks

Not all of the Russian Empresses bore the patronymic "Feodorovna", only the foreign ones, and not all of them, to that: Catherine the Great, for example, became Catherine (Ekaterina) Alekseyevna upon her inclusion into the Russian Orthodox Church.

As to those who did become "Feodorovna", I believe it became a traditional patronymic for the foreign Princesses who married into the Imperial Family because of the Fyodor Icon of the Mother of God (the Patron and Guardian of the Romanov House - all Russian Monarchs were crowned for the Throne in front of this icon).

Not all of the Russian Empresses bore the patronymic "Feodorovna", only the foreign ones, and not all of them, to that: Catherine the Great, for example, became Catherine (Ekaterina) Alekseyevna upon her inclusion into the Russian Orthodox Church.

As to those who did become "Feodorovna", I believe it became a traditional patronymic for the foreign Princesses who married into the Imperial Family because of the Fyodor Icon of the Mother of God (the Patron and Guardian of the Romanov House - all Russian Monarchs were crowned for the Throne in front of this icon).

Very true! Another one was Marie of Hesse, the first wife of Alexander II. She took the name Maria Aleksandrovna. Wilhelmine of Hesse (one of the wives of Paul I) took the name Natalia Alekseievna (his other wife was another Maria Feodorovna)....just to name a few.

The name "Feodorovna" was traditionally bestowed on foreign princesses who married a Grand Duke and converted to Orthodoxy prior to marriage (normally a requirement of marrying into the family). The other Grand Duchesses by marriage did not always convert and used their husband's patrionymic (Vladimirovna) as did some Tsarinas.

Is there no formal title to separate a Grand Duchess who is the daughter of a Tsar and a Grand Duchess who is a niece or a cousin?

My dear XeniaCasarghi,

I may be wrong, but the only difference is in the style: a Grand Duchess who is the daughter of a Tsar is addressed as Her Imperial Royal Highness Grand Duchess Olga as opposed to Her Royal Highness Grand Duchess Marie, for example. I must confess that I don't know if the Grand Duchess loses her Imperial status upon the passing of the Tsar or not.

An interesting facet of the Russian Nobility, is that they are very lowkey and they do not use their titles as a matter of course in introducing themselves and they also already know who each other are. They don't hang out in Hollywood, they don't live the jet set (to my knowledge) life and they don't use their titles to get jobs or really publicly talk about their family. They are the most secretive family on earth.